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Sunderstone

Posted - 29 Mar 2018 : 19:24:50 I guess it just depends on the taste of the game designer at the time each volume is released. I was looking at some of my older books and in the original addition the Dragon Turtle was more feasome than all of the metalic or chromatic dragons. It was a Physical beast with nearly twice the HD, the stronges bite and claw attacks, and a breath weapon only exceeded by Bahamut. It was nearly three times bigger than it is in current editions.

I remember it in campaigns where it was the Tarrasque before there was a Tarrasque. I still use it that way and beef it up whenever it is used. It's nice to have something in acquatic based sessions that is a force of nature or a Dues ex Machina.

4 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)

Diffan

Posted - 07 Apr 2018 : 06:08:33

quote:Originally posted by Ayrik

4E had a definite tendency to make encounters "easier" on PCs, at least for the most part when taken as written.

Eh I wouldn't say easier per-se, maybe less swingy? In-combat healing was limited and early on, combat did tend to drag which depleated your resources faster. Heck my first designed adventure for 4E resulted in a TPK lol.

Lord Karsus

Posted - 31 Mar 2018 : 22:10:08

quote:Originally posted by sleyvas

personally, regarding dragon turtles, I wouldn't be adverse to the idea that there are differing breeds of them just as there are differing breeds of true dragons. Maybe some are smaller and freshwater. Others are bigger and saltwater. Maybe some can occupy both.

-This would make the most sense. Depending on diet, environment, and whatever else, some might be bigger and stronger than others and some might be weaker and smaller than others. I've seen tiny little snapping turtles living in a park near me that people obviously "flushed away" and I've also seen giant ones on TV in places like the Everglades or where ever.

sleyvas

Posted - 30 Mar 2018 : 13:23:53 personally, regarding dragon turtles, I wouldn't be adverse to the idea that there are differing breeds of them just as there are differing breeds of true dragons. Maybe some are smaller and freshwater. Others are bigger and saltwater. Maybe some can occupy both. I was discussing the concept as well yesterday of a "half-dragon turtle" Zaratan, which would absolutely make sense to me... dragons turtles and Zaratans seem exceptionally similar, and since dragons on land can mate with pretty much anything, I could easily see two giant turtle like beings being able to mate. Along similar veins, there might also be OTHER sea dragons/true dragons that might mate with say a Zaratan as well.... various Lung dragons for instance... and thus there might be some unique "dragon turtle" variants in the world with different breath weapons, etc...

Ayrik

Posted - 30 Mar 2018 : 03:05:54 Monsters sometimes change even within the same game edition, especially noticeable in 2E and 3E. Sometimes the monsters change, new stats or powers. Sometimes the monsters stay the same but exist in a new game which has changed rules for stats and powers.

1E had a definite tendency to make a few encounters suicidally impossible and most encounters just "filler" attrition stuff on the PCs. 2E continued this tendency but nerfed things down a little, at least at first.3E was all over the map, game "balance" made some challenges impossible and others trivial, it tried to fit monsters into too many general categories and general rulesets (which weren't even all written by WotC).4E had a definite tendency to make encounters "easier" on PCs, at least for the most part when taken as written.

Some other RPGs include built-in game mechanics where the DM/GM has certain "options" or "settings" ... to make encounters easier or harder, in general or in specifics, in many different ways which collectively have great effect on overall gameplay (in combat, anyways). D&D doesn't really offer anything of the sort, but it's not hard to implement.

And the Tarrasque is a "unique" encounter. Supposedly only one in the entire world. So changing it around isn't going to break anything and is a good way to keep your players on their toes.